2019?

[guruofradio]

Could be a wild year in Seattle radio after 18 months of change maybe the most in a decade or so. KUBE and KISS rebuilt to challenge MOVIN? HOT still giving it a try too with Throwbacks, maybe Bender will end up there reunited with Powers. Who will win the Country battle between rebuilt WOLF and the new BULL? Who will with the Adult Contemporary battle? THE SOUND is still new, WARM and STAR replaced their morning shows (one fired, one retired). WARM also changed up its music. Will KISW still be the top dog 25-54 adults and with men or will they get a challenger again? Maybe JACK becomes ALT-FM? KIRO-FM the top dog in talk? KIRO-AM in Sports? What happens to I-Heart in bankruptcy? Cumulus? A lot of change that could make for a wild 2019!!!


Each year radio is pronounced dead and over, yet 92% of us tune in each week, maybe listening as long, but that is still impressive. Change can be good and if that is the case this could be a good year for Seattle radio. Happy New Year!

 

[crainbebo]

2019 in a nutshell:
In Seattle.....two stations fight for bragging rights....
Their weapons? The "Michael Bolton". The "Celine Dion". The "Air Supply 2.0". And the "MEGA-WHAM 2000"!!
It will be an epic battle, to the bitter end......

Warm vs. The Sound - coming soon to an FM dial near you.

*Happy new year to all. Will be streaming the Space Needle fireworks later tonight, thanks to KING-TV.

 

[bobdavcav]

I'm wondering if we're still not done seeing changes at 106.1. Has anyone else noticed that, even two months after the death stunt and being under construction, that the imaging still does not say Kiss FM? You still hear it in certain promos like the traffic and special events, and the jocks still say it, but most of the imaging just says 106.1. As for other changes, Jack does too well to be in any danger of flipping. I don't think it's time to call KNUC dead, possibly at this time next year. As for KIRO snd KISW, nothing to look at here, they will continue to dominate.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

I predict more of the same - unfocused threads, continued schooling from our two 5-digit-post-count experts and tourists visiting without paying the hotel tax.
Oh, I thought you meant "what can we expect on this board in 2019"?
Happy New Year.

 

[seattlesarchiebunker]

1) Movin’ will not feel too much heat from this 3-way format war going on. If this new morning show on 106.1 is a hit, it’ll take numbers from Star. We’ll be halfway to seeing KOMO on 101.5 (and KVI on 97.7) by 2020. Alternately, if this 106.1 morning show/rebrand is a dud (it probably will be), we will be halfway to ‘Alt 106-1’ or maybe sports on FM with play-by-play of this new NHL franchise as a centerpiece.

2) We will see why KLSY wanted to move to Belfair as they will apply to run a directional C2 from Gold Mountain.

3) More labor strife at KUOW. Everyone unionized will strike, but it will run just fine with scabs, non-union staff, and management. Making dozens question why they paid union dues for the past two years.

4) 104.9 gets sold by years’ end broadcasting a non-English format of some sort. However, 102.9 will continue as-is. For quite sometime to come, actually.

5) We will see our first fully-built urban/suburban LPFM turn in their license here, giving further fuel to the folks who claim radio is half in the grave.

6) Overall, continued increases in streaming against radio. It’ll get worse before it gets better, with the bottom probably getting reached in the next 5 years.

 

[Bongwater]

Let's all be grateful about the good things. Because last I checked, Hubbard hasn't recently applied for any steakhouse license. So The Bull appears safe. KISW remains as beautiful as beer bottles in flight. And somewhere in this big scary world, with all it's chaos, panic and disorder, we can all rest a little easier. Because someone is ALWAYS watching over EXACTLY how many times "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge has been played on KRWM.

I-I just have a brand new confidence in the future of the human race now.

Happy New Year!

 

[TheBigA]

6) Overall, continued increases in streaming against radio. It’ll get worse before it gets better, with the bottom probably getting reached in the next 5 years.

You'll start to see more streams of FMs show up in the monthly ratings. This month, streams of KISW and KSWD made it into the ratings.

 

[bobdavcav]

1) Movin’ will not feel too much heat from this 3-way format war going on. If this new morning show on 106.1 is a hit, it’ll take numbers from Star. We’ll be halfway to seeing KOMO on 101.5 (and KVI on 97.7) by 2020. Alternately, if this 106.1 morning show/rebrand is a dud (it probably will be), we will be halfway to ‘Alt 106-1’ or maybe sports on FM with play-by-play of this new NHL franchise as a centerpiece.

2) We will see why KLSY wanted to move to Belfair as they will apply to run a directional C2 from Gold Mountain.

3) More labor strife at KUOW. Everyone unionized will strike, but it will run just fine with scabs, non-union staff, and management. Making dozens question why they paid union dues for the past two years.

4) 104.9 gets sold by years’ end broadcasting a non-English format of some sort. However, 102.9 will continue as-is. For quite sometime to come, actually.

5) We will see our first fully-built urban/suburban LPFM turn in their license here, giving further fuel to the folks who claim radio is half in the grave.

6) Overall, continued increases in streaming against radio. It’ll get worse before it gets better, with the bottom probably getting reached in the next 5 years.

As for points one and four, I agree that something will happen, likely with 106.1. If they're going sports though, it won't happen until fall of 2021, just before the NHL team takes the ice for the first time though. With EMF launching K-Love Classics earlier this year, I'm really surprised they haven't made a bid for 102.9. I'm surprised that you think 104.9 will go first, as that's the weaker signal. As for streaming, I'm really surprised it took as long as it did for station's streams to show up in the ratings here. There were streams showing up in ratings in other markets about six months ago.

 

[Tibbs4]

You'll start to see more streams of FMs show up in the monthly ratings. This month, streams of KISW and KSWD made it into the ratings.

Why are you on this closed group post talking non-real-radio jibber jabber? Wait, why am I? (As I take this away from the self-centered world of the Pacific NW, we all love and miss...)

I think the main issues with streaming is that during regular radio breaks, which have virtually not evolved for way too long**, the filler material is extremely painful. Five minutes of PSA's about donating you old car, or the same six ads for the radio station you are listening to online is not helping tune in time. And, I think many listeners believe that is what they would get with HD options, because so few are that engaged. As for streaming of formats that are not copying the on-air-station, well, who is searching for those, unless you are on "like" the Radio.com app? But, I agree that will be a very interesting growth category in 2019.

The smart move, which we all have to believe will happen, is to take the better radio stations from a local only radio experience and evolve them around the better air personalities and take them to a national level. Good example: NYC's WCBS-FM. Good sound, good delivery, smart jocks (Shannon, Dan Taylor, Broadway Bill Lee, Joe Cause, etc.) and horrific filler-material. They will fix that. As for HD-this and that showing up in ratings, well that is going to be a slow-growth trend that the actual local station will have to promote on air, literally stealing their own listeners. But, that well may be the smart way to "evolve." Especially when you see more markets having fewer actual on air formats that compete and more niche (or EMF) stations. Should be a nice bright, sunshiny retort.

** comments about old-school 30-60 second commercials would be a totally different post.

 

[TheBigA]

I think the main issues with streaming is that during regular radio breaks, which have virtually not evolved for way too long**, the filler material is extremely painful.

The main issue with streaming is there should be actual paid commercials there, not filler.

 

[TexasTom]

1) [...]We’ll be halfway to seeing KOMO on 101.5 (and KVI on 97.7) by 2020.

KVI on 97.7? Maybe they can brand it on-air as "The FM KVI". (I'm joking, but for those who don't know, from late 1976 until 1978, what is now "Star 101.5" was KVI-FM, and was identified on-air as "The FM KVI". in 1978, they switched to the KPLZ call letters that they still have due to confusion between the AM and FM versions of KVI, and rebranded as "K-Plus 101". So an FM version of KVI would truly be an example of something old coming back.)

 

[seatownmedia]

KVI on 97.7? Maybe they can brand it on-air as "The FM KVI". (I'm joking, but for those who don't know, from late 1976 until 1978, what is now "Star 101.5" was KVI-FM, and was identified on-air as "The FM KVI". in 1978, they switched to the KPLZ call letters that they still have due to confusion between the AM and FM versions of KVI, and rebranded as "K-Plus 101". So an FM version of KVI would truly be an example of something old coming back.)

Yep, I remember "The FM KVI" at 101.5. Never gained much traction, until they changed to K-PLUS, but really it wasn't until KPLZ that they gained success, finally beating competitor KUBE in the late 80's.

In the mid-70's, KVI-FM and KYYX-FM 96.5 (now JackFM), were the only contemporary music stations on the FM dial. (Though KOL-FM 94.1, now The Sound) ran a top40 automated format with a simulcast during certain hours of KOL-AM in the early 70's, but this is ancient history!)

 

[semoochie]

Yep, I remember "The FM KVI" at 101.5. Never gained much traction, until they changed to K-PLUS, but really it wasn't until KPLZ that they gained success, finally beating competitor KUBE in the late 80's.

In the mid-70's, KVI-FM and KYYX-FM 96.5 (now JackFM), were the only contemporary music stations on the FM dial. (Though KOL-FM 94.1, now The Sound) ran a top40 automated format with a simulcast during certain hours of KOL-AM in the early 70's, but this is ancient history!)

There was also KTAC-FM booming in on 103.9.

 

[Bongwater]

KTAC-FM was a rocker until sometime in the late '70s when they flipped to B/EZ and adopted the KBRD (K-Bird) moniker. They bumped down from 103.9 to 103.7 and 100,000 watts shortly after. KLAY-FM 106.1 was another rocker until about 1981 when they went country as KRPM.

 

[davideduardo]

As for HD-this and that showing up in ratings, well that is going to be a slow-growth trend that the actual local station will have to promote on air, literally stealing their own listeners. But, that well may be the smart way to "evolve." E

More HD-2's have been showing as Nielsen changed the rules so that any subscribed station's HD-2 that got just one incident of listening was given a "thank you for participating" 0.1 share no matter what.

 

[Kelly A]

More HD-2's have been showing as Nielsen changed the rules so that any subscribed station's HD-2 that got just one incident of listening was given a "thank you for participating" 0.1 share no matter what.

Where I'm working in Portland, Oregon until the 15th, the local Classical Music Station does a great job of using their HD-2 to enhance the overall "All Classical" brand. For example: During the holidays the HD-2 with it's own web stream was pressed into service playing a unique "All Classical Christmas" format until January 7th. After the 7th, they carried-over the fans of that format to what they're calling "Vocalise", which is primarily an Opera-based genre. Sometime in the Spring, they're moving over to their new permanent format for the HD-2 called ICAN. The International Children's Art's Network. ICAN will will include children's books/story telling and introduction to classical music that a young audience would appreciate. Think Peter and the Wolf. Not only will the format be carried on HD-2 terrestrial radio, but web streamed and a big focus on home Smart Speaker audiences. The programming will also be available to public radio network affiliates.

 

[Bongwater]

ICAN will will include children's books/story telling and introduction to classical music that a young audience would appreciate. Think Peter and the Wolf.

Didn't the major record labels try something like this in the '50s? I have seen numerous kids records from that time, Peter & The Wolf, Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose, etc. All with classical soundtracks and accompanying books. The gist (as with ICAN and maybe Hooked on Classics in the '80s) was to get kids to like classical music. But the funny thing is at that age, most kids tolerate classical music the way they tolerate Brussels sprouts and it's not until their youthful exhuberation has been thoroughly wiped out by real life - usually by 25-30, that they begin discovering classical music. Or jazz, blues, country, folk, whatever - things beyond rock/pop.

BTW, anyone remember that Hooked on Classics hit? Went to #10 CHR in February 1982. It was actually a K-Tel U.K. production where it became a viral hit, but since K-Tel records weren't played on American radio (at least on major market stations.) RCA handled the American distribution, promotion and marketing of the K-Tel U.K. Hooked on Classics albums.

Here's the original radio hit version of that song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsmSqepkhe0

 

[CTListener]

Didn't the major record labels try something like this in the '50s? I have seen numerous kids records from that time, Peter & The Wolf, Sleeping Beauty, Mother Goose, etc. All with classical soundtracks and accompanying books.

Prokofiev composed "Peter and the Wolf" as a children's piece, to be accompanied by narration. My father, a classical music fan, had a recording of it and played it for me often as a child. The Leonard Bernstein version still gets played regularly on SiriusXM's Symphony Hall channel, so it must resonate with grown-up classical listeners as well.